Peter Lilley is a crazy hero who wants to reform MPs' pay

He launched a Bill which would set MPs' pay according to the amount of power Parliament wields.

Strong Parliament - big wonga.

Weak Parliament - small potatoes in the pay packet.

That was Mr Lilley's idea and it was not an easy one to fault.

A Labour MP who tried to oppose it went down in flames. The one problem: It will never happen.

Respected: Peter Lilley, pictured with his wife Gail, is a political veteran with clout

Former Cabinet minister Mr Lilley made his proposal in the 'Ten Minute Rule Bill' slot - a time, effectively, for legislative doodling.

'Ten Minutes' seldom make it through the Parliamentary mangle (certainly not if they propose a pay cut for MPs). They are really little more than a glorified way of provoking discussion.

The years have suited Mr Lilley.

This once slightly sickly-looking Thatcherite - with his hollow shirt collars he often looked in need of a good spoonful of malt - has turned into one of the House's developing treasures.

Now of veteran status, he stands on the horizon like a small coastal conifer, bent slightly by climatic conditions but still there, still determined, still clinging on in the squalls and occasional heatwaves.

He speaks up frequently for a smaller state and taut Government.

He's good news, Lilley. The Commons is fortunate to have his brain on its backbenches.

Yesterday afternoon, he suggested that, given how much sovereignty Westminster has handed to the European Union, MPs' pay should be lowered to reflect this reduction in their duties. 'In virtually every other occupation it is recognised that pay should reflect responsibilities,' he argued, the model of Mr Reasonable.

Peering through his half-moon spectacles he pointed out that last year the EU passed 177 directives, 2,033 regulations and 1,045 decisions. This only told part of the story of the EU's influence because standing rules prevent the Commons from making laws on certain areas of policy.

So they not only pass all their devilish directives but they also prevent us from making rules on matters which they have hogged for themselves.

Mr Lilley: 'When I was a minister it was a frequent occurrence that officials would say, "no Minister, you can't do that" because it was within the exclusive competence of the European Union.

'If the Lisbon Treaty Bill goes through, a further salami slice of powers will be transferred to the EU.' And so Westminster will

Mr Lilley mocked the way British ministers happily take the blame for EU laws, even though they themselves are not to blame for the blasted things.

'They nobly defend and accept responsibility for Brussels' legislative progeny in whose conception they often played very little part.

But they prefer to claim paternity than to admit impotence - the fate of the cuckold across the ages.'

The one thing his speech lacked was numbers. He did not offer us a pay-versus-political-power scale.

Given how little power MPs have it could push them down to about five bob a week. Mr Lilley's proposal earned fruity 'hnrrrgh hnrrrghs' from a few supportive MPs.

Another co-sponsor is Sven Goran Eriksson lookalike Peter Bone (Wellingborough) but I am not sure he deserves any attention after disgracing himself yesterday by calling for cycle helmets to be made compulsory.